Safety means for the pattern mechanism of knitting machines



y 0, 1955 H. E. HAEHNEL 2,707,873

SAFETY MEANS FOR THE PATTERN MECHANISM OF KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 23, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Y I yerberl Erich Haehnei /Z ATrORNEY May 10, 1955 H. E. HA'EHNEL 2,707,373

SAFETY MEANS FOR THE PATTERN,MECHANISM OF KNITTING MACHINES Filed Dec. 23, 1952 2 sheet -s eet 2 ENTOR Herbert Er Htwh" BY ATTORNEY United States Patent '1 2,707,873 SAFETY MEANSFORTHE PATTERN MECHANISM OF KNITTING MACHINES Herbert Erich Haehnel, West Reading, Pa., assignor to extile Machine Works, Wyomissing, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 23, 1952, Serial No. 327,473 14 Claims. (Cl. 66 157) This invention relates to improvements in knitting machines and more particularly to safety means for preventing accidental operation of the pattern means for such machines.

knitting-machines, the functions of the various operating mechanisms are controlled by one or more pattern chain devices each of which is provided with a pattern lever and 2,707,873 Patented May 10, 1955 Fig. 4 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is an elevational view taken in the direction of ice W the arrows 7-7 of Fig. 3; and

specifically set forth; further information as to the cona row of buttons individual to each mechanism to be controlled. The buttons are secured to the chain links by screwsso that they may be readily repositioned on the chain or removed therefrom according to desired variations in the pattern. In some instances a button becomes loosened when not securely fastened during initial setting .1

trolled bythe affected pattern lever and usually resulting f in defective fabric and very often in damage to themachine.

Heretofore, attempts were made to prevent the buttons intended for cooperation with one pattern lever, when becoming loosened, from shifting from their normal path into a path cooperating with an adjacent pattern lever, by forming limiting obstructions for the buttons on the chain links. However, while these prior arrangements prevented lateral shifting of the buttons on the chain links when the buttons first became loosened, there was no warning indication that a button was loose until it either fell 01f the chain or was suflicient-ly loose to pass .ovcr the limiting obstructions on the links and into the path of an adjacent pattern lever.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide means to overcome the above mentioned and other difiiculties occurring in knitting machines due to defective operation of the pattern means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a knitting machine with means for preventing improper operation 5 of the pattern mechanism when a button in a .path serving 5 one pattern lever becomes loosened .on the chain and accidently moves into the path of an adjacent pattern lever.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a knitting machine with means for stopping the machine when a button on the pattern chain normally adapted to function in one path accidently shifts to also function in an adjacent path.

With these and other objects in view which will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, the invention resides in the novel elements, features of construction and cooperation of parts, as hereinafter more particularly pointed out in struction and o erato of th r related, u u l d 1 In kmttmg machines and particularly full-fashioned p l o S a an We?! known knitting machine elements, mechanisms, etc., may be found in one or more of the following publications of the Textile Machine Works, Reading, Pa.: The Reading" Full-Fashioned Knitting Machine Parts Catalog, published in 1940, the supplement thereto entitled 'Ihe Reading High Production Full-Fashioned Knitting Machine, published in 1940, and The Reading Full- Fashioned Knitting Machine Parts Catalog published in 1947.

The mechanism shown in, the drawings comprises portions of a full-fashioned knitting machine embodying the novel features of the invention. More specifically the mechanism shown comprises a portion of a usual main pattern chain mechanism, including one of the usual pattern levers which are operated by the buttons on the chain and which in turn operate certain of the various mechanisms of the machine. Also shown, in accordance with the instant invention, is a comb or gauge arrange ment through which the buttons on the chain are adapted to pass when secured in a "predetermined path onthe chain, and means operated by a button that has become loosened and accidently shifts into an adjoining path to break the electrical circuit to the motor of the machine.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings there is shown the left end portion of the usual framework of a full-fashioned knitting machine including an end frame 10, center frames 11, a front beam 12, a back beam 15, a center bed 16 and a front bed or table 17. Supported on the framework in a usual manner are a narrowing head 20, needle bars 21, a shaft 22 on which the needle bars are carried, a cam lever 25 secured to the shaft 22, a shaft 26 and a cam lever 27 also connected to the needle bars. The levers 25 and 27 are operated by cams on a camshaft 30 to provide the usual vertical and pressing movements, respectively, to the needle bars .21. v

The machine is also provided with a pattern mechanism 31 carried on the front beam 12, the pattern mechanism including ausual pattern chain 32 having cross links 33 connected to each other in the usual manner at their ends (Figs. 2, 4 and 6). The links carry buttons 35 for operating a series vof pattern levers, one of which is shown at 36. The levers 36 are pivotally mounted on a shaft 34 forming a usual part .of the pattern mechanism. Each pattern lever 36 is connected by a rod 37 or similar means to an operating mechanism of the machine (not shown). The chain 32 is advanced in a .usual manner by pawl and ratchet means 43 (Fig. 2) and is provided with buttons 35 which are moved with the chain along paths individual to and into engagement with the levers 36 to determine the sequence in which the levers control the operation of their associated mechanisms. The buttons 35 have a camming portion 38 for engaging the pattern levers, a base portion'39 and a screw 40 for securing Fig. 2 is a view ,on an enlarged scale similar ,toa porthe portions 38 and 3-9 to each other and to the cross links 33 of the chain 32, as shown in Fig. 6.

The series of pattern levers 36 and the rows of buttons 35 serving the levers are carried closely adjacent to each other on the shaft 34 and the cross links 33 of the chain 32 respectively. Therefore, only a slight deviation of a 9 button from its allotted path on the chain, when a button accidentally becomes loosened through repeated engagement with its pattern lever or for some other reason, will cause the misplaced button to overlap and engage an adjacent lever usually resulting in damage to the fabrics being knitted and to the machine. In order to prevent such damage there is provided a comb or gauge device 41 through which the buttons 35 are adapted to pass shortly before the buttons are moved into engagement with the levers 36. The device 41 comprises a series of feeler discs or members 42 carried on a shaft 45 secured in a bracket 46 fixed on the front beam 12. The feeler discs are spaced on the shaft 45 by collars 47 the spacing being slightly greater than the width of the buttons. The end collars 47 are provided with set screws 50 by means of which the collars and feeler discs 42 are maintained in fixed position axially of the shaft 45 (Fig. 3).

The buttons 35, after being secured to the links 33 of the chain 32, are maintained in accurate alignment with the spaces between the feeler discs 42 by engagement of discs 51 and 52 with the side edges of the chain. The disc 51 is held in fixed position on the shaft 45 between the right end collar 47 (Figs. 3 and 4) and a hub 55 fixed to the shaft 45 by a screw 56. The disc 52 is resiliently held against the left end of the links 33 of the chain 32 by means of a coil spring 57 which surrounds shaft 45 and which is held compressed between the disc 52 and a hub 60 secured to the shaft 45 by a screw 61, as shown in Fig. 8.

For cooperation with the links of the chain 32 under certain circumstances a pair of rollers 62 are rotatably mounted on shouldered studs 65 carried in the ends of a hub-like portion 66 (Fig. 4) of a lever 67 fixed on a shaft 70. The shaft 70 is pivotally carried in arms 71 and 72 on the hubs 55 and 60, respectively. A lever 75 having projections 76 and 77 is secured at the left end (Figs. 3 and 4) of the shaft 70, the lever 75 having a spring 80 connected thereto to bias the projection 76 into engagement with the arm 72 (Fig. 7) to limit the counterclockwise movement of the rollers 62 toward the links of the chain 32, as viewed in Fig. 6, so that the rollers substantially contact the cross links 33 of the chain without riding thereon. The projection 77 on the lever 75 is adapted i to engage the underside of arm 72 to prevent an accidental clockwise movement of the levers 67 and 75 (Figs. 6 and 7) into a position in which the spring 80 holds the rollers 62 out of the desired relation with respect to the chain 32.

At its other end, the shaft 70 carries a finger or like member 81 for engagement with a spring arm 82 which is adapted to actuate a contact button 85 of a microswitch 86 secured to the bracket 46 (Figs. 3, 4 and 5). The micro-switch 86 is of a suitable commercial type and is connected into the electrical circuit of the operating motor of the machine. As diagrammatically shown in Fig. 2, the micro-switch 86 is in a circuit including main line conductors 87 and 90, a conductor 91 connecting the conductor 87 and the switch, and a conductor 92 extending from the switch to a solenoid winding or coil 93 of a switch S9 and from the winding to the conductor 90. This circuit controls the opening and closing of a circuit including a push button switch 94, a machine operating motor 95, a conductor 96 connected to the main line conductor 90 and passing through the motor to stationary contact members 97 and a movable contact member 100 to the main line conductor 87. The movable contact member 100 is connected to a core member 101, of the switch 89, which moves the movable contact member to closed position against the action of a spring 102 when the circuit through the solenoid winding 93 is closed. Push button switch 94 is of a type that is automatically opened when the motor circiut is opened and is manually closed to start the motor.

With the buttons 35 accurately positioned on the chain 32, the buttons are moved along paths individual to each pattern lever 36 and continue to operate along such paths as long as the buttons pass between the feeler discs 42 as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. During this period of operation the projection 76 of the lever 75 is biased against the arm 72, as in Fig. 7, which through the shaft 70, positions the rollers 62 as in Fig. 6 and presses the spring arm 82 against the contact button (Figs. 3 and 5) to maintain the circuit extending from the main conductors 87 and through the micro-switch 86 and winding 93 closed. Also at this time, the winding 93 being energized, the core member 101 maintains the movable contact member 100 in engagement with the stationary contact members 97 and the switch 94 being closed, the motor continues to operate the machine.

However, when a button 35 becomes loosened and moves from its normal path into an adjoining path, the button as it is moved toward the levers 36, engages one of the feeler discs 42 and the button and one of the cross links to which it is fastened are raised. As the raised link of the chain 32 engages the rollers 62, the lever 67, shaft 70 and finger 81 are turned clockwise, as viewed in Figs. 5 and 6, to release the pressure of the spring arm 82 on the button 85 thereby opening or dccnergizing the circuit through the solenoid winding 93. Deenergization of the winding 93 permits spring 3.02 to break the connection between the stationary and movable contact members 97 and 190, respectively, to open or deenergize the circuit through the motor 95, thereby stopping the motor and the machine and opening the switch 94. After returning the misplaced button to its correct position on the chain and securing it in place, the mechanical and electrical elements are again positioned as shown in the drawings to start the motor, as hereinbefore set forth.

It will be understood that the improvements specifically shown and described, by which the above described results are obtained, can be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. In a knitting machine having an electrical operat ing motor and a pattern mechanism including pattern levers, a chain, buttons on said chain and carried thereby into actuating engagement with said pattern levers, said buttons being positioned on said chain to follow paths individual to said pattern levers, and means for advancing said chain to move said buttons along said paths, the combination with means for gauging the position of the buttons in said individual paths and means operated by said gauging means to stop said operating motor when a button from one path accidentally moves into an adjoining button path.

2. In a knitting machine having an operating motor and a pattern mechanism including pattern levers, a chain, buttons carried by said chain into actuating engagement with said pattern levers, said buttons being positioned on said chain to follow paths individual to said pattern levers, and means for advancing said chain to move said buttons along said paths, the combination with means for gauging the position of the buttons in each individual path, and means operated by said gauging meansto stop said operating motor when a button from one path overlaps an adjoining button path.

3. In a knitting machine having an operating motor and a pattern mechanism including pattern levers, a chain, buttons on said chain adapted to be carried by said chain into actuating engagement with said pattern levers, said buttons being positioned on said chain to follow paths individual to said pattern levers, and means for advancing said chain to move said buttons along said paths, in combination with gauging means between which the buttons in the individual paths pass, said buttons and chain being raised when a button engages said gauging means, and means operated by said chain when raised by said gauging means to stop said motor.

4. In a knitting machine having an operating motor and a pattern mechanism including a chain, buttons on said chain, and pattern levers operated by said buttons, said buttons being positioned on said chain to follow predetermined paths individual to said pattern levers, and means for advancing said chain to move said buttons along said paths, in combination with means for stopping said operating motor when a button in a path serving one pattern lever overlies a button path serving an adjacent pattern lever comprising feeler members between which the buttons normally pass and switch means operated by said chain when a button engages a feeler member.

5. In a knitting machine having a motor, a closed electrical circuit for operating said motor to operate said machine, and a pattern mechanism including a chain, buttons on said chain, pattern levers operated by said buttons, said buttons being advanced into operating engagement with said levers by said chain along predetermined paths individual to said levers, and means for advancing said chain to move said buttons along said paths, in combination with means for preventing engagement of the buttons for one pattern lever with an adjacent pattern lever comprising feeler discs between which the buttons normally pass, a switch normally maintaining said motor circuit closed, and means for operating said switch to open said circuit to stop said motor when a button engages a feeler disc.

6. In a knitting machine having a motor for operating said machine, a closed electrical circuit for operating said motor, and a pattern mechanism including a chain, buttons on said chain, pattern levers operated by said buttons, and means for advancing said chain to move said buttons into operating engagement with said levers along predetermined paths individual to said levers, the combination with feeler means between which the buttons normally pass and means for opening the circuit to stop said motor when one of said buttons engages one of said feeler means.

7. In a knitting machine having a motor, an electrical circuit for said motor, and a pattern mechanism including a chain, buttons on said chain, pattern levers operated by said buttons, and means for advancing said chain to move said buttons into operating engagement with said levers along predetermined paths individual to said levers, the combination with feeler discs between which the buttons normally pass when advanced along said predetermined paths, switch means for maintaining said electrical circuit closed and thereby to operate said motor, and means operated when one of said buttons engages one of said feeler discs to open said switch means and thereby to open said electrical circuit and stop said motor.

8. In a knitting machine having an operating motor, an electrical circuit for said motor, a pattern chain, buttons on said chain, pattern levers, means for advancing said chain to move said buttons into operating engagement with said levers along predetermined paths individual to said levers, feeler means between which the buttons normally pass when advanced along said predetermined paths, a switch in said electrical circuit, a member for maintaining said switch closed and thereby to maintain said electrical circuit closed to operate said motor, and means for operating said member to open said switch to stop said motor when one of said buttons engages said feeler means.

9. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having pattern mechanism including pattern levers, a chain, cross links in said chain, buttons on said cross links, means for advancing said cross links, said buttons being positioned on said cross links to be advanced along predetermined paths into engagement with said pattern levers, feeler means through which said buttons normally pass, and means for engaging the ends of said cross links to maintain said cross links in position for said buttons to pass through said feeler means when said buttons are in their normal paths.

10. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having an operating motor, a normally closed electrical circuit for operating said motor, and pattern mechanism including pattern levers, a pattern chain having cross links, buttons on said cross links, means for advancing said cross links to move said buttons along predetermined paths into engagement with said pattern levers, feeler means through which said buttons normally pass, means for engaging the ends of said cross links to maintain said cross links in position for said buttons to pass through said feeler means when said buttons are in their normal paths, and means for opening said electrical circuit to stop said motor when one of said buttons is out of said normal path and engages said feeler means.

11. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having pattern mechanism including pattern levers, a pattern chain, cross links in said chain, buttons on said cross links, means for advancing said cross links, said buttons being positioned on said cross links to be advanced along predetermined paths into engagement with said pattern levers, feeler means through which said buttons normally pass, and means for maintaining said cross links in position for said buttons to pass through said feeler means when the buttons are in their normal paths including a fixed disc for engagement with said cross links at one side of the chain and a disc resiliently pressed against said cross links at the other side of said chain.

12. In a full-fashioned knitting machine having a motor, a closed electrical circuit for operating said motor and pattern means including pattern levers, a chain, means for advancing said chain, cross links in said chain and buttons on said cross links, said buttons being advanced by said chain along paths individual to said pattern levers, the combination with feeler means through which said buttons normally pass, a switch in said closed electrical circuit, a member for operating said switch to normally maintain said electrical circuit closed, and means operated by one of said cross links when a button engages said feeler means to operate said member to open said switch and stop said motor.

13. In a knitting machine having a motor, an electrical operating circuit for said motor and pattern means including pattern levers, a chain, means for advancing said chain, cross links in said chain and buttons positioned on said cross links to be advanced by said chain along paths individual to said pattern levers, the combination with feeler means through which the buttons normally pass, a switch in said motor operating circuit, a member for engaging said switch and pivoted means for normally holding said member in position to maintain said switch closed and hence said motor operating circuit closed, said pivoted means being operated by said chain when a. button engages said feeler means to move said member to open said switch and said motor operating circuit.

14. In a knitting machine having a motor, an electrical operating circuit for said motor, and pattern means including pattern levers, a chain, means for advancing said chain, and buttons positioned on said chain to be advanced thereby along paths individual to said pattern levers, the combination with feeler means through which the buttons normally pass, a switch in said motor operating circuit, a member engaging said switch, pivoted means for operating said member, and means for normally holding said pivoted means in a predetermined position relative to said chain and said member to close said switch and motor operating circuit, said pivoted means being operated by said chain when a button engages said feeler means to move said member to open said switch and motor operating circuit.

References (Iited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

